THE PLIOCENE BEDS OF SOUTHERN COLORADO. 601 
howling of the wolves, we made ourselves comfortable. In the morning we were 
early astir, and during the day made the largest collection of fossil bones I ever 
got in the same length of time. They were in a fine state of preservation. One 
unfortunate thing was the absence of perfect skeletons. The skulls had been 
broken to pieces, doubtless beneath the feet of herds of antelope and deer, that 
came daily to the lake for water. ‘Teeth, limb bones and vertebrze were common. 
We found great quantities of fish bones, which were usually detached and repre- 
sented animals from the size of a trout to a large salmon. About two thirds were 
of existing species. Birds, also, were abundant, in size from a sandpiper to a 
stork. They were all of existing species. Great piles of P/znsrbis and other 
species of fresh water shells looked like snow drifts. Among mammals the horse 
and llama were most common, three species of each. Azuus mayor was as large 
as our American stock, though with rounder limb bones. JZ. occidentalis was 
about the size of a small Indian pony. Of the Llama the species were ancherria 
hesternia, A. major and A. vitakeriana. Specimens were found of a great sloth, 
Mylodon. Elephas primigenius left its bones in profusion. They were usually 
broken, especially the tusks. A few days exploration convinced me that great 
numbers of animals had been destroyed at once, and an examination of the vol- 
canic sand and ashes that had covered them proved that they had sought shelter 
from a fierce storm of sand and ashes, from an active volcano in the vicinity, and 
beasts of all descriptions forgot their natural instincts, and rushed together to the 
cooling waters of the lake. The gigantic elephant, the horse, llama, deer, wolf 
and other smaller animals awaited with fear the storm that must overtake and 
bury them beneath the accumulating deérts. 
One reason for this opinion is the great profusion of remains around the lake. 
Another is that only isolated bones are found at a distance, showing where some 
animals had been overtaken by the storm before it reached the lake. Whata 
commotion there must have been on that fearful day, when all the beasts of 
Southern Oregon found death and burial. Great piles of sand and ashes are 
found near the lake, carried there by the wind, into which ones horse sinks a 
foot or more. Among these heaps of sand I found an old Indian village, with 
old mortars and pestles lying around. Also numerous arrow and spear heads of 
obsidian. Here and there were heaps of obsidian chips, showing where the old 
arrow makers had had their shops. Who knows but what man was a witness of 
the scenes we have described, and perished amidst the storm of burning ashes, 
« 
THE QUATERNARY OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY. 
| BY CHAS. H. STERNBERG. 
Prof. Broadhead’s interesting article on the Mastodon puts me in mind of some 
explorations I made in the Winter of 1877-78. While traveling on the Columbia 
river I met an army surgeon, who told me of mastodon bones being found on 
Pine creek, Washington Territory. I resolved to go there at once, and went to 
Iv—41 
